MX2010007476A

MX2010007476A - A desalination system.

Info

Publication number: MX2010007476A
Application number: MX2010007476A
Authority: MX
Inventors: Michael James Haag
Original assignee: Haag Family Trust
Priority date: 2008-01-07
Filing date: 2008-12-24
Publication date: 2010-12-21
Also published as: WO2009086587A1; IL206743A0; US20100276369A1; AU2008346715A1

Abstract

A reverse osmotic desalinisation system including a desalinisation unit having at least one semi-permeable membrane in direct contact with a body of saline water at a depth d1, an interior chamber in fluid connection with the saline water via a serni- permeable membrane, the interior chamber being in fluid connection with an atmosphere above a surface of the saline water wherein the depth di provides a sufficient hydrostatic pressure p1, being greater than the osmotic pressure to effect at least some desalinisation of the saline water through the semi-permeable membrane to provide a permeate being substantially desalinised water into the interior chamber and a solute outside the interior chamber, such that a solute is able to passively dissipate into the surrounding body of saline water.

Description

I SYSTEM. OF DESALINATION i Field of Invention i í This description generally refers to a desalination system that uses reverse osmosis and its operation method.

For purposes of explanation, reference will be made to the use of the present disclosure with respect to a system; of desalination used in conjunction with a body of oceanic saline water. It must be understood, however, that! the description is not necessarily limited to use with water I of the sea Rather, any natural or man-made body of brackish water deep enough can be used. ! Brief Description of the Prior Art In this specification, unless otherwise expressly stated, where a document, act or article of knowledge is referred to or discussed, this I reference or discussion does not have to be considered as an admission that the document, act or article of knowledge or any combination thereof, was to date, of publicly available priority, known to the public, part of the common general knowledge; or known as relevant to an attempt to solve some problem with. What is this specification related to? i i The providence of this description arises from 'an interest in the environment, an introspective towards the nature of osmosis and reverse osmosis, a deliberate attempt to apply the principles thus obtained to a marine situation and j the application of basic physics. 1 The device to be described shows how the hydrostatic pressure of a saline solution, such as the ocean, can be released due to exposure to atmospheric pressure at a natural pressure depth sufficient to sustain reverse osmosis. j The empirical demonstrations of the osmosis process i show that water flows from a low concentration. of ionic solute to a high concentration of solute, when separated by a semipermeable membrane. Experiments are usually conducted in the laboratory when doing decenjler A tube of saline water with a semipermeable membrane inside i from a container of fresh water. The osmotic pressure gives the result that the water molecules pass through the I semipermeable membrane towards the concentrate, raising the level of water in the tube. Being a ionic molar solution, this process is reversible when applied enough pressure to the concentrate. · The perspective on this phenomenon changes to a certain extent when the positions of the two liquids are exchanged, partly suggesting the process to be described and the device to make use of it. If a tube containing a column of fresh water is introduced into saline water, the solution of lower concentration could immediately begin to drain from it due to osmosis. This process will stop when the supply! of fresh water is depleted or the solutions reach the same ion molar concentration. The process can be reversed if the hydrostatic pressure of the saline solution exceeds the osmotic pressure. This incidence can not be proven; in the laboratory because you need a very long tube! and, if not supported, a very strong membrane.

I In conventional desalination systems, reverse osmosis occurs when the pressure of the saline solution exceeds 27 bars or 27 atmospheres, equivalent to < 500 the hydrostatic pressure of seawater below this depth is sufficient to produce reverse osmosis in .

The significant revelation in this phenomenon is that if the tube is subsequently lowered into the ocean, the water level inside the tube will remain at or above! of the depth at which reverse osmosis begins. The additional hydrostatic pressure greater than the osmotic pressure or the "overpressure" generated by the increased depth I of the membrane, generates a flow of water through it, The principle on which this description is based, is succinctly described in Figure 1, and forms the basis for the desalination system illustrated in Figure 10, and its modalities in Figures 11, 12 and 13. j! There is a desalination device that uses the hydrostatic environmental pressure at depth to increase a pump that creates enough pressure to filter water from the sea, subjected to reverse osmosis and pumped to the coslia.

A submersible pump is housed in the same unit as the membrane assembly through which the sea water is pumped. The permeate is pumped to the coast by means of a pipeline and the concentrate is released into the sea. The notion of using hydrostatic seawater pressure to increase i the reverse osmosis process, antedate this invention. The disadvantage of this method is that the entire volume of feed water i is pumped through the unit.

This is the same as conventional systems of reverse osmosis which also confront the cost of pumping seawater from offshore outlets and the waste of the concentrate in the same environment. In addition, at high rates of recovery, the cost of pumping the feedwater can be up to four times higher than the original concentration of seawater due to the increased osmotic pressure of a solution of high ionic molar concentration.

An objective of the present invention is to: improve the problems with the systems described above, or at least provide a useful alternative to them.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, taken in conjunction with the appended figures, in which / by way of illustration and example, one embodiment of the present invention is described.

For the purpose of this specification, the word "comprising" means "which includes but is not limited to", and the word "comprises" has a corresponding meaning. Also, for ease of explanation, the cited figures have been rounded up or down. In this way, the hydrostatic pressure of 10 meters of saline solution is taken as equivalent to 1 baria or 1 atmosphere of pressure.

DEFINITIONS ! For the purposes of this application, the term "equilibrium" refers to the point at which the hydrostatic pressure of a body of seawater, in contact with a semipermeable membrane at a singular depth below? of sea level, is in balance with the hydrostatic pressure of a diluted solution on the opposite side! of the same membrane, increased by the osmotic pressure of the two solutions. ' ! The term "resting state" refers to the level of permeate achieved within a vertical column at atmospheric pressure above an array of vertically deployed semipermeable membranes exposed to a saline water body of sufficient hydrostatic pressure to produce reverse osmosis. . j Since the pumping of the permeate from the recovery unit to the storage facility will cut, the desalination system > is designed to maintain the level of the permeate below the resting state and jlos Equilibrium levels - not only for all the I membrane surfaces if not for all units (desalination units connected to the same recovery unit - these terms can be considered interchangeable ^.

The balance is considered better as a valid Theoretically the highest point of the desalination unit and described as the hypothetical level at which the permeate could suck into a vertical column above an array of membranes exposed to atmospheric pressure. In no way, the operation of the desalination process can be affected by the fact that the membranes are at different depths if this level is maintained.

Brief Description of the Invention In one aspect of this description, although this may not necessarily be the only one or of course the form I wider than this, a desalination system is proposed ! which comprises a desalination unit submerged to a first depth of saline water di (the solute), the unit I of desalination includes at least one semipermeable membrane that separates the saline water from an internal chamber of the desalination unit that is in fluid communication with the atmosphere on the surface of the saline water, a recovery unit j which also has an internal chamber, which is in fluid communication with the atmosphere on the surface of the saline water, this recovery unit is submerged to a second depth of saline water d2, which is smaller than the first depth (ie di is at a depth greater than d2), the differential pressure between the outside of the desalination unit and its internal chamber is sufficient to cause reverse osmosis through the semipermeable membrane, and at least increase the displacement of the permeate resulting from the internal chamber of; the desalination unit to the recovery unit. I Preferably, the desalination unit is ! ! submerged to a depth of saline water of at least 360 I 1 meter Preferably, the recovery unit j is submerged to a depth sufficient to receive; the permeate from the desalination unit without the use of a pump or other lifting mechanism that is above 27 bar of hydrostatic pressure of seawater or below 270 meters of seawater. ' Preferably, there is a maximum vertical separation between the desalination unit and the recovery unit j, with the recovery unit at the smallest depth. j Preferably, the desalination and recovery units are immersed in the same body of saline water. · I Preferably, the body of saline water is oceanic. ij I Preferably, the desalination system includes a permeate storage facility, located on or near the coast. : Preferably, the recovery unit j18 includes a pump or other mechanism for transferring the i permeated towards the permeate storage facility.

Preferably, there is a pipe that extends Between the internal chamber of the desalination unit and aunt recovery unit. ! Preferably, the recovery unit has an internal chamber, which is in fluid communication with the I atmosphere on the surface of saline water, the recovery unit is submerged to a second depth of water ! salt d2, which is smaller than the first depth di. See Figure 10.

Preferably, the desalination unit includes a plurality of supported semipermeable membranes In collector panels that depend on a body that defines its internal chamber.

Preferably, the semipermeable membrane is; in direct contact with saline water. i Preferably, the desalination unit, the recovery unit and the collection panels are comprised of high tensile strength materials such as metal, carbon fiber reinforced polymer © or carbon fiber such as polyacrylonitrile, which are chosen by their ability to resist pressures to the depth to which they are deployed. It is claimed that! polyacrylonitrile resists pressures of 57.646 kg / cm2 (820,000 psi) which is equivalent to much more hydrostatic pressure Preferably, if filtration is required? saline water before reverse osmosis, the filters are Coupled to the top and on the circumference of! the unit to the panels composed of metal, polymer reinforced with carbon fiber or carbon fiber such as i polyacrylonitrile, with the filter material such as nanocarbon or polysulfinate as thin as possible. i Preferably, the natural dispersion of the concentrate through diffusion and subsidence will be sufficient to cope with the resulting higher cumulative salinity, within the housing of the unit, but if not, a modified version of the concentrate outlet tube described below for the The desalination unit described in Figure 20 can be used, again taking advantage of the greater hydrostatic pressure of a concentrated solution, in comparison with surrounding seawater, but whether or not an impeller is required could be used. depend on the prevailing conditions.; Preferably, if the exclusion of marine life as the only requirement is desirable, there is only one metal, carbon fiber reinforced polymer, or polyacrylonitrile j-mesh fitted to the top, bottom, and circumference of the unit to admit i the I I free passage of saline water.

Preferably, a first line of the permeate It extends between the desalination unit and the recovery unit. j Preferably, a second line of the permeate extends between the recovery unit and the permeate storage facility.

Preferably, the pipe carries the conduit to energize the pump in the recovery unit, whether it comprises compressed air, gas, fluid or electric cable.

Preferably, the internal chamber of the recovery unit is in communication with the atmosphere on the surface of the saline water, by virtue of an air line to the surface Preferably, the air line to the surface is supported on the surface by a buoy.

In a further aspect, it can be said that | the description includes a desalination system that includes a desalination unit immersed in saline water (the solute), the desalination unit that includes at least one semipermeable membrane that separates the saline water from an internal chamber of the desalination unit, which is in fluid communication with the atmosphere on the surface of the saline water, the pressure differential between the outside of the desalination unit and its enclosed inner chamber, is sufficient to cause reverse osmosis of the saline water through the semipermeable membrane, and increase at least the displacement of the resulting permeate from the internal chamber of the desalination unit to a container of I harvest. j I In addition, it can be said that the description includes a desalination method of a saline water source, using the deep ocean system described above, the method includes the steps of allowing the salt water to be forced through the semipermeable membrane. from the desalination unit and then displaced to the recovery unit by the hydrostatic pressure of the saline water to: the depth of the desalination unit, and then pumping I I the permeate from the recovery unit to the storage facility at or near the coast.

Preferably, the desalination unit j is? deployed to the maximum practical operational depth, within the proximity of the coast. 1 Preferably, if a plurality is coupled, from desalination units to a recovery unit I simple, these are deployed to a similar depth from the same saline water.

Preferably, this group of desalination units j are deployed such as to increase! to the maximum the horizontal distance between them, but it is close to what is practicable for the recovery unit | to which they are coupled. | Preferably, as a result of the output of the pumped permeate from the recovery unit, the level i of the permeate with it is maintained at a level below the equilibrium level defined above, as is computed for the full complement of the units of Desalination deployed coupled to it. ! i Preferably, the recovery unit. { is I deployed in oceanic waters as close to the coastal storage unit as possible, so that they can operate effectively and efficiently. j Preferably, if there is a choice that is ) have to do, the desalination units are t used in a body of water as free as possible of sediment, contaminants and microorganisms, alive or dead,? and such as to limit the impact of salinity on aquatic, marine and / or terrestrial life in generajral; preferably, this means not in relation to lakes, aquifers and river systems or other bodies of water This could impact the environment and other users downstream or in the vicinity. I i In this regard, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it should be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the described components.

I in the following description, or illustrated in the figures. The invention is capable of modalities in addition to those described and of being practiced and carried out in different ways. j In addition, some of the applications of the components of the invention can be described as follows.

Preferably, the panel-collector assembly described above can be adapted for use in a pressure tank and as a cylindrical arrangement enclosed within a water tube.

Preferably, the pressure tank and the semicircular collector panel are components of a reverse osmosis system i in which a pump pressurizes a saline solution to force the water through a membrane i semipermeable. | Preferably, the pressure tank uses the same collector panel and the membrane assembly as the desalination unit i described above.

Preferably, the tank comprises a tubO | of central permeate; and the cylindrical membrane comprises a tube? of peripheral permeate on the inside of the water tube, Each of which performs a function similar to! the I central chamber of the desalination unit described above, since they receive water from the collector plates and including that they operate at or near atmospheric pressure. j I I I Preferably, the pressure tank has one 'or i ! more vanes diffusers to reduce the molar concentration I ion in direct contact with the membrane, and with this I reduce the osmotic pressure.

Preferably, the pressure tank has a removable lid so that a complete array of collector plates with the central tube attached can be inserted at one time. j Preferably, the central tube is screwed into the base of the tank and forms the outlet for the permeate.

Preferably, there is an inlet for the saline feed water in the upper part of the tank. J Preferably, there is a separate output for a í concentrate produced from the processing of saline water by reverse osmosis. ( Preferably, the panel comprises a series j of holes through the two outer panels that are coupled to a leaf-shaped array of streams on the front side of each, with a segment cut out of the semicircular disk thus formed, to allow the access of the saline water to each one of the surfaces of the membrane. j Preferably, a large number of panels; semicircular membrane is accommodated as a series of such discs along a permeate tube, which receives the permeated from the inner streams of each of them To form a cylindrical arrangement that slots in a tube! of ordinary water. í Preferably, the segment cut from each of the discs allows saline water to enter through the entire length of the water tube enclosing it, and I each membrane surface. j Preferably, a tube concentrated from the surface of the portion of this segment of the membrane arrangement c n r po, which has allowed the entry of saline water in the first instance. ! I Preferably, the membrane assembly is similar to that for the collector plate described above, except that a material such as an absorbent chamois can settle beneath the membrane, a rubber seal can ) fit around the edge and the complete assembly is screwed i on one side only of the disk alone. i Preferably, the semicircular membrane has raised ridges to produce a flow of a single passage of saline water across the surface of the membrane.

Preferably, the connection of this flow salt Ii.no To the concentrate tube from a pair of opposing membrane surfaces, it incorporates a single flow constrictor or valve, so that the flow from all membrane surfaces is equalized and the pressure is I maintained inside the unit. | An additional embodiment of the desalination unit j comprises the cylindrical membrane assembly and the buoyant or flotation ring described in the desalination units described above, and allows the unit to float on the surface of a saline body of water.

I I or to a depth within it. i I Preferably, this comprises a pump to increase the hydrostatic pressure of the saline water to any Depth that is inserted, in order to produce reverse osmosis. ! I Preferably, where the hydrostatic pressure is sufficient to maintain reverse osmosis, this pump is used to eject the concentrate from the unit, and with comparison with environmental saline water. ! i Preferably, there is a recovery unit I to receive the permeate from the desalination unit, located at a lower depth of the same body of water saline, or if the unit is effectively at sea level, at least closer to the coast. | In a further form of the invention, there is A reverse osmotic desalination system A including a desalination unit having at least one semi-permeable membrane in direct contact with a body of saline water at a depth d, an internal chamber in fluid connection with the saline water via a semi-permeable membrane, the internal chamber in fluid connection with an atmosphere above a surface of saline water, j where the depth di provides a hydrostatic pressure i sufficient pl, which is greater than the osmotic pressure p'ara I perform at least some desalination of the saline water through the semipermeable membrane, to provide a permeate that is substantially desalinated water to the internal chamber, and a solute outside the inner chamber, such that a solute is capable of passively dissipating towards j the surrounding body of saline water. j It is understood that the modalities illustrated in Jlas Figures 1, 2 and 9 are completely interchangeable, and that therefore the reference to the desalination unit illustrated in Figure 1, comprises each of its other modalities. This may also include the desalination unit J described in Figure 20, which may be used in the desalination system going to Jser. described, or as part of a separate system. Also, it should be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein, as well as in the extract, are for description purposes I and should not be considered as limiting. ? The appended figures, which are incorporated into and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate certain embodiments of the invention, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. j In a further aspect, it can be said that the description includes a kit of parts for a system; of desalination. i I INDEX OF COMPONENTS, ' 1. desalination unit 2. collector panel j 3. membrane assembly surface J 4. camera body Ií t 5. hose or tube to the buoy and the atmosphere 6. inner camera! i 7. mounting points and entry of water perméada from 2 8. tab j 9. ballast! 10. oscillating housing i i 11. internal and external valves towards the camera previous of 6 12. external panel b, internal panel 13. holes 14. streams 15. internal porous layer 16. membrane 17. external porous layer, filter or mesh screen 18. recovery unit 19. bomb 20. hose or tube into the atmosphere 21. tube from the desalination unit 1 22. tube from shore to unit j of recovery 18 j i 23. flotation ring j 24. structural arms i I 25. structural ring i 26. saline water (sea water) > i 27. buoy I 28. coastal storage facility j 29. pressure tank with panel system I collector i 30. salt water inlet ' í 31. collector plate 32. Desalination unit with cylindrical membrane system 33. lid with removable dome! 34. screw for cover 35. valve or removable tube cap 36. central permeate tube 37. screw base for the tube central 38. permeate output 39. brine outlet 40. diffuser wing 41. cylindrical collector plate 42. salt water inlet 43. cylindrical membrane holes 44. cylindrical membrane tunnels or streams 45. permeate outlet 46. Concentrate outlet tube! j 47. membrane surface j 48. raised ridges to direct the flow i of saline water < 49. water tube j 50. holes in the concentrate tube 51. permeate flow 52. concentrate flow 53. pump chamber and filter i I 54. maneuver or coupling gate | from i hoses I 55. coast j 56. sea floor I 57. underwater floor j 58. sea level | I 59. J atmosphere 60. water tower, hydraulic head tank1 or tube Brief Description of the Figures I For a better understanding of this description This will now be described with respect to an exemplary embodiment which will be described herein with the help (of the figures, in which: j i Figure 1 is a schematic illustration of a I exemplary desalination unit; | Figure 2 is a schematic illustration of a ! exemplary desalination unit of the system 'in I Figure 1; j I Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view through the core body of several exemplary central chambers of the desalination unit of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a close-up view of the housing that can be used in an exemplary manner; I interior of the central chamber; I Figure 5 is a detailed plan view of the collector panel in Figure 6; Figure 6 is an exploded view of an exemplary collector panel from the desalination unit; j floating recovery unit adjustable in depth; ] Figure 12 is a conceptual diagram of a I third exemplary form of the system in Figure 10, with a water tower or vertical hydraulic head tube above the recovery vessel; j Figure 13 is a conceptual diagram of the fourth fourth-dimensional form of the system in Figure 10, with one double pipe, one of which acts as a water tower above the recovery container; Figure 14 is a schematic illustration of < a pressure tank that uses the collector panels in the Figures 5 and 6; ] Figure 15 is a schematic illustration of an exemplary alternative form of the collector panel of Figures 5 and 6, showing the flow pattern of the permeate within the body of the cylindrical collector panel; Figure 16 is a schematic illustration of the collector panel of Figure 15, showing the flow pattern for the saline solution on the membrane surface; Figure 17 is a further illustration of the cylindrical collector panel of Figures 15 and 16, showing how the saline enters each of the membrane surfaces from the segments on the collector panel surfaces, and how the concentrate is then directed towards the concentrate tube; Figure 18 illustrates the components illustrated in Figures 15, 16 and 17 fitted within a normal cylindrical water tube; Figure 19 is a plan view of the cylindrical membrane showing the separate flows of saline feed water, the concentrate and the permeate within the cylindrical tube; Figure 20 is a plan view of the unit of desalination 32 that incorporates the membrane units ! cylindrical illustrated in Figures 15-19, and the flotation ring j incorporated in Figure 9, intended either to float on a body of saline water or to be submerged therein.

Figure 21 is a diagram illustrating the effect of depth on the permeate level above a semipermeable membrane that is in fluid communication with the atmosphere on the surface of the saline water via a hose or connection pipe and the resulting energy consumption necessary to raise one kiloliter of water (1 im3) to the surface; j Figure 22 is a graph demonstrating the relationship between the depth of the desalinization unit below the imaginary equilibrium level as defined above and the flow velocity of the permeate through the collector plate shown in FIGS. and 6. It is based on a semipermeable membrane of an area ? · 1 m superficially regulated at 0.5 liters per minute per baria. A simple collector panel as described in desalination unit 1 could therefore be capable | to produce 1 liter per minute per baria. The graph deliberately ignores the effects of ionic molar concentrations; Figure 23 is a graph showing the relationship between the immersion depth of the desalinization units illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 9 (and possibly 20) and the height at which equilibrium can be achieved by the permeate within the vertical tube or hose as shown in FIG. Figure 21 Detailed Description of the Invention With reference now to Figure 10, an exemplary embodiment of a desalination system is illustrated a. Specifically, Figure 10 illustrates a desalination system that includes a desalination unit 1 i submerged at a depth di saline water 26 (the solute), a recovery unit 18 that is submerged at a second depth d2 of the salt water 26, which is smaller than the first depth di, and a storage unit j 28 about the coast 55! i A first pipe 21 extends between the desalination unit 1 and the recovery unit 18, and a The second pipe 22 extends between the unit! from Recovery 18 and storage facility 28 of permeate. The recovery unit 18 contains a pump or pumping mechanism 19 which moves the permeate to the storage facility 28.! Referring now to Figure 1, the desalination unit includes a plurality of membranes. j semipermeable 3 supported in panel assemblies 2 that they depend on a body 4 defining an internal chamber 6. The panels 2 extend radially from the body 4 and the membranes separate the saline water from the internal chamber 6 of the desalination unit 1.

Referring now to Figure 3, the internal chamber 6 of the body 4 is not intended for long-term storage of water, but is capacious enough to cope with the permeate flow from the membranes of the panel assemblies. .

In its simplest form, the body 4 of the desalination unit 1 can be made from a sandwich; from I layers with an internal space that has been cut from it I material than that of panel assemblies 2 as i are illustrated in Figure 2. ' This can also be a metal cylinder, of carbon fiber reinforced polymer or j of polyacrylonitrile.

I Referring now to Figure 9, body 4 could become excessively large if a large number of independent of the camera. The panels are connected by pipes that collect water to the central chamber. In this way, the central chamber can support numerous radial arms at different levels, and maintain a large number of collector panels.

In addition, there may be a flotation ring; 23 (see Figure 7) located on top of: the unit, and the ballast 9 (see Figure 3) on the bottom of the body 4 to keep it vertical. The degree of flotation and the required lighter are both calculated for a particular depth before the desalination unit i is deployed.

In more advanced models, more expensive and larger I ability, an exemplary form to the device may comprise a flotation ring 23 which is part of a remotely controlled or manned submersible i which controls the complete desalination operation.

To help diffusion at low depths, j the I desalination unit 1 can be connected directly to a buoy on the surface, and with this obtain some help i with diffusion through the influence of the waves. Eto would have to be adjusted to minimize the damaging impact of high amplitude waves. i Yet another method for promoting diffusion is to move the panels 2 towards the center of the body 4 to promote the rotation of the unit in certain streams. To facilitate this action, an oscillating housing 10 can be built on the upper part of the body 4. In any case, this can be a necessary addition to the basic design, to overcome any tendency, to the twisting of the connecting hose or pipe. . See Figure 4 and an exemplary unit in Figure 3. This could be on the top or bottom depending on the preferred position of the hose connection.

The housing 10, illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, can include an outlet valve 11 for releasing the permeated water to the ocean to induce flotation in the desalination unit 1 and thereby allow maintenance to be conducted in the the surface of the salt water 58. This requires a pump, possibly located in the recovery unit 18, to produce backpressure on the external valve, to expel the permeate from, the connection hose and the housing. It can also comprise an internal valve 11 for stopping the flow j of the permeate from the collector plates towards the housing I ! ? 10, and the hose or hose 21. In cases j of membrane perforation or assembly failure, the valve! 11 which connects the internal chamber 6 to the housing 10 pod could isolate the unit from other desalination units and? prevent seawater from filling the recovery unit 18.! The hose or tube 20 may have integral flotation or have a float device attached), so that its own weight is supported along its length in the water. The hose or tube 5, which in the unit I Desalination 1 was connected to a buoy and directly exposed to atmospheric pressure, it can rather be replaced by the pipe 21 that extends from the internal chamber 6 to the recovery unit? d via a shunt gate or coupling hose 15, and with this it is exposed to atmospheric pressure by the air line of the recovery unit. This coupling; it can also incorporate counterflow and total closure valves to prevent the incursion of sea water and undesired backflow of the permeate into the desalination unit. í Referring now to Figure 8, the recovery unit includes a body 18 that defines an internal chamber i that has an entrance at 54 where the first j pipe i 21 ends, so that in use this feeds the permeate from the desalination unit 1 to the anointing i i recovery 18. The recovery unit 18 houses a and pump 19, which in use will pump the permeate from the recovery unit through the second pipe I 22 to the storage facility 28 based on the coast.

A tube or hose 20 extends from the top of the recovery unit 18 towaa buoy 27, in I the service where the end of this tube or hose 20 is open to the atmosphere. The tube 20 therefore assures I that the internal diameter of the recovery unit 18 is maintained at atmospheric pressure. , j The internal chamber of the desalination unit 1 can be exposed to the atmosphere by means of a hose or tube which is connected to a buoy 27 on the surface (of the I Mar 58, which creates the difference in pressure between the I from the sea and the permeate. The desalination unit 1 can ! also be exposed to atmospheric pressure by means of the Recovery unit 18, which has its own connection I Air line with a buoy at sea level. The depth ! to which the desalination unit 1 is installed ensures that the resulting pressure across the membranes is sufficient to support the reverse osmosis. In use, the permeate is directed from the panels 2 to the chamber 6 and therefore to the recovery unit 18, which is located at a lower depth near the coast. | An advantage of the recovery unit 18¡ is allow connection to a number of desalination units j. This also serves to overcome the problem that water from numerous units! of desalination may have different levels of theoretical equilibrium - due to the probability that these may be operating at different depths or to slightly different conditions. The advantage of such recovery unit 18 then is that pump 19 is consolidated for all units to a less depth than those of the desalination units. However, if only one desalination unit is going to be used! 1, a submersible pump can be used within the desalination unit and / or a connecting tube at a fixed depth. j Another plus advantage of a recovery unit! 18 I It is that it offers the prospect of using alternative energy sources to energize the pump, which will bring the desalinated water to the coast. Examples of alternative sources of energy include compressed air or electricity generated by waves, by wind or by the sun. i With reference now to Figures 5 and 6, are panels 2 of desalination unit 1 constructed? of high tensile strength materials such as I metal, polymer reinforced with carbon fiber or fiber! from back to back, separated by a third panel 12b. The inner central panel 12b has a series of streams 14 igue that have been cut, stamped, engraved or molded into the surface, which direct the permeate into the central chamber 6. ¡ Alternatively, the front side of the two outer panels 12a can be designed to make the central panel 12b redundant. The holes in the directly opposed panels 12a may share the same stream or the panels may employ a different flow pattern, the idea being to reduce the internal pressure on the structure. jt The panels 12 can be fused or joined with I glue between them. These can also be bolted or bolted from one side to the other, to prevent them from separating. The effect is to produce something like a triple or dojble glaze. The sandwich layers can be bevelled on three sides by strips of the same material. I A membrane can be adjusted to a panel I collector 2 in at least one of two ways: Ii l A simple membrane assembly 3 fits the surface of each collector panel 2. The structure has a rubber seal and is screwed or held down to the collector panel on four sides.

It can also be formed in the form of a shell, supported by a rigid structure, which fits over both opposing surfaces. At the open end of the envelope, the structure fits inside a flange or collar 8 in the connection to the central chamber, and! is screwed or held down.

The membrane assembly can be constructed in at least two ways.

With reference to Figure 7, a semipermeable membrane comprising thin film composite, acetate or one having similar semipermeable qualities, is supported on the inner side (permeated) by a porous material to ensure that the water molecules are stable. in constant contact with the surface of the membrane. : The absorbent suede material suggested as a backing for the membrane may need to retain its intrinsic permeability to be used at greater depths due to the higher compression. For this reason, a more solid substrate can be substituted. In addition to polysulfinate and nanocarbon currently used in water filters and reverse osmosis devices, they can be used I other materials such as a competent sandstone and not polluted, clean sand or fiber-reinforced polymer Strong carbon.

Sandstone is made porous by subjecting natural material to temperatures of 1,000 ° C. The natural sand is subjected to compression by a hydraulic gate. Both materials are bonded with a suitable polymer and cut into a thin sheet to create a high tensile strength layer. As a manufactured alternative, the carbon fiber reinforced polymer can be shaped jen I small spheres, formed into sheets and joined in the same way. The permeability of the material needs to be retained.

Ideally, the membrane is in direct contact with the sea. This may require that it be retained in place by a mesh, perhaps composed of carbon fiber or incl.

I a strong, stretchable polymeric material. [i In cases where saline water requires some prior filtration, the membrane assembly previously Said may incorporate a second porous layer which walls the semipermeable membrane between the internal porous layer described above. This one should be so thin I as possible because a filter is a barrier to! the natural diffusion. This can be constructed of materials and the like, or it can be completely different in composition to the internal porous layer described above.

In an alternative to the adjustment of the filter to panel, this can form the complete circumference of the device, so that the filtered water is enclosed by the complete structure. The natural dispersion of the concentrate through diffusion and appeasement can be assisted by I I a modified version of the concentrate outlet tube j described below for the desalination unit described in Figure 20. This takes advantage of the higher hydrostatic pressure of a concentrated saline solution ! I compared to surrounding seawater, but whether or not it requires an impeller this could depend on the Í I speed of flow coming from the unit, the consequent constitution in the salinity and if this could lower more) the cost. j With reference to Figure 10, the recovery unit 18 can be any water tank, tube, column or tower under atmospheric pressure. The most important feature is that it is located at a depth of d "2 to the dual i I the permeate water coming from the desalination unit 1 will flow without the use of a pumping or lifting device.

I I This can house a pump 19 or be equipped with some other mechanism for transporting this water to the coastal storage 28. The atmospheric pressure can be reached by the connection through a vertical pipe or hose 20 to a buoy 27 that floats at sea or through a vent hose that returns through the tube of water 22 towards the coast. This is not intended to be a water storage. These are also the means by ios I which can be connected a number of units | from desalination 1 to a greater depth than unit j of recovery 18. j A number of maneuver gates or points! from I connection 54 are distributed around the unit j of i I recovery 18 to allow desalination units to be connected to it 1. A flow control valve j is fitted to the connections, so that the permeate Produced by the desalination unit can only flow to the recovery unit. A total pressure-sensitive shut-off valve can be installed in this coupling or in the desalination unit that will be activated in cases of seawater incursion.

In order to reduce the impact of salinity on the marine ecosystem and to increase efficiency, these units are designed to be distributed around the sea. of the recovery unit. ! I I The connection of the recovery unit 18 from the desalination units 1 is by means of a hose or flexible pipe 21. To prevent the hose from collapsing due to the difference in pressure, it is supported by metal mesh or consists; of plastic or thick rubber. This can be connected to the surface when the device is launched. This can be carried out by a rig on a boat or a semi-permanent marine platform. The flexible hose cover is held by the end of a steel rod, which is extended in the same way as the oil pipes. J The lid joins the gate of the recovery unit 5 I4.

A simple option is to connect each such connecting hose by a cable or rope to an individual buoy, which is raised to sea level. Alternatively, this section of hose I it may already be connected to the gate when the recovery unit is installed and raised to! the ! surface by means of a coupled submersible, controlled from the coast or by means of controls connected via the snorkel to the bollard 27 or the platform. j Another function of buoy 27 is that it also carries instruments to measure flow velocities, pressure, salinity and temperature from each individual unit. The buoy 27 can be energized by solar panels and contain satellite communication equipment to provide continuous monitoring of the system and control of counterflow and recovery operation.

A feature of the recovery unit) 18 ! is that the depth from which the water needs to be pumped can be adjusted according to the demand. Figures 11, 12 and 13 comprise several possible modalities of the recovery unit 18. Instead of having a recovery unit resting on the ocean floor as in Figure 10, Figure 11 comprises a floating recovery unit, Figure 12 comprises a water tower or tube! of vertical hydraulic head above the unit; of recovery and Figure 13 a double pipe, one of which acts as a water tower or hydraulic head tube above the recovery unit, all of these in direct contact with atmospheric pressure.; The I Depth d3 of the upper part of the hydraulic head tube represents the maximum level at which the permeate will flow from the desalination unit 1 without pumping or other water lifting mechanism. The upper inner section of the water tower and the hydraulic head tube is open to atmospheric pressure via an air line to the surface, possibly in preference with the camera, of the recovery unit to which it is connected. Depth d3 represents the lowest depth at which the floating recovery unit can successfully operate? 18 illustrated in Figure 10. The buoyancy or flotation of the recovery unit can be established by a specific depth when it is deployed, or it can comprise a flotation tank controlled from the coast. It is also possible to use a water tower or vertical tube connected to a raised platform above the level of the sea, as a plant to extract water to the surface.

I On some coasts, there is the potential to build a tunnel or pipeline below the bottom of the sea, intercepting the permeate that rises from the desalination unit 1, which could make it possible for desalinated water to reach I earth without pumping at all. In this case, unit j of Í recovery could be like an aquifer, deep lake or reservoir, and the level of the permeate could be the same as it could be in any of the modalities of the external may not be greater than 36 bar. As Figure 23 suggests, by deploying desalination unit 1 to a greater depth, the potential height of the permeated water in the theoretical equilibrium increases. As a result, there is a reduced demand for energy to lift water to the surface. See Figures 21, 22 and 23.

I I Because the water pressure increases During high tides, this system efficiently converts the energy of the tides by increasing! he permeate level, or alternatively, by increasing j the flow velocity coming from the unit! of desalination, depending on which mode of the unit! of recovery is being used. j With reference to Figure 21, less energy consumption is required to pump the permeate if the head! of water in the column is close to sea level However, with reference to Figure 22, there is a reduced flow velocity of the desalination units when the level of the permeate is close to the equilibrium level (eg, closest to the sea level) . Therefore, more units may need to be deployed to obtain iuna I given daily amount of water. The advantage of the modes of the recovery unit 18 as exemplified in Figures 11, 12 and 13, is that the output of the permeate from the desalination units 1, 2, 9 or even 20, can be varied on demand, since it depends inversely on the level of the permeate in the recovery unit 18. ¡ For example, if pump 19 were to be installed at an operational depth that would allow the level of I permeate was maintained at 360 meters, this would theoretically require approximately 1 kW-hour of energy to raise 1 kiloliter (1 m) of water to sea level. At a level of I 270 meters, the power consumption could be 0.75 kW-liora I per kiloliter and at 180 meters, 0.5 kW-hour per kiloliter. Do not However, the maximum flow velocity of desalination units j occurs when the level of the permeate is lowest. For the semi-permeable membrane used as an example in Figure 22 and 23, which has an operation interval I of 16 bars, the level of the permeate can be up to ! 160 meters below the equilibrium level to achieve the maximum permeate performance. j The other advantage of the greater depth, as j is I explained previously, is that it may be possible to access the shrine More pure, which does not require filtration. | I Since the osmosis could draw water from the desalination unit 1 as it is lowered into the sea, it is initially purged with fresh water and additional water can then be discharged into the tube j of the connection 20 until it reaches the depth the dualism ceases osmosis. The membrane assembly may also be switched off, enclosed in a container or bag, perhaps containing fresh water, or the membranes prevented from coming into contact with seawater until it reaches the water level.

I depth required for reverse osmosis. | As the device is further descended, the reverse osmosis will occur simultaneously as the hydrostatic pressure of the seawater exceeds the osmotic pressure. When allowed to continue, the permeate poilría rise in the hose or vertical tube to the level in which the equilibrium state is reached. This occurs when the hydrostatic pressure of seawater balances the osmotic pressure increased by the hydrostatic pressure of a column ! of the permeate above the membrane. The specific gravity of the permeate in the column is less than that of seawater, the level of the permeate is effectively higher than a column of seawater under the same pressure, If the permeate is pumped from the column | of water, the hydrostatic pressure above the membrane will be reduced and water will enter the device through the membrane once more. Also, since the flow velocity is also directly related to the difference in the exposed directly to the ocean. All systems! of desalination depend on diffusion to bring the concentrated solution away from the membrane. The difference in the sea is that the concentration gradient is always I between seawater at the original salt concentration, and the I ionic molar concentration of water in immediate contact with the membrane. The increase in ionic salt concentration in this seawater, it increases the osmotic pressure and results in a reduced flow velocity through: the semi-permeable membrane. In conventional reverse osmosis systems, "overpressure" is necessary to overcome this increased osmotic pressure. At sea, the unit can simply be installed deeper.

While the diffusion of concentrated saline solution produced as a by-product is unlikely; of reverse osmosis in this form of desalination could be somewhat slower than conventional reverse osmosis, this depends a lot on the salinity trace of the device itself. Obviously, the larger the surface area of the device and the higher the flow velocity through the membrane, the greater the amount of concentrated solution that needs to be diffused from the system. The simplicity of solubility, however, allows them to be spaced over a wide area of the ocean, so that diffusion is optimized and the impact on the environment and marine life is greatly reduced.

In the open sea, the natural diffusion of seawater is also aided by higher density. of the concentrate, so that the solution in contact with the membrane will tend to sink as it becomes heavier than surrounding seawater. Ocean currents and tides help this process.; The hydrostatic pressure of seawater is reasonably constant at a given depth, so that there is much less wear and tear on the membranes. Pressure differences in conventional desalination plants have significant impacts I about the life of the membrane and the efficiency of the process, j Another advantage of using ocean waters instead I of coastal for desalination, is that osmotic pressure is also related to temperature. At a temperature of 10 ° C for example, the osmotic pressure is noticeably 25.5 atmospheres, and at 15 ° C it is; 26 atmospheres This translates into reduced depth to: 1a which starts the reverse osmosis, respectively, of approximately 255 meters and 260 meters. Many oceans or I cooler currents therefore offer the prospectus of I reverse osmosis that occurs at lower depths. Do not Pressure forces water through a semi-I membrane permeable 3. The tank incorporates a removable cover 33, which ! it allows the complete array of the panels 2 to be inserted at one time with its central tube attached 36. i As the tank is pressurized, the lid must be hermetically sealed, which is achieved by an arrangement similar to a pressure cooker, or it can be simply screwed in. 34. j The central permeate tube of arrangement 36 is screwed into a damper or dam 37 at the bottom of the tank. In order to prepare the membrane assembly, the fresh water needs to fill the central tube 36 and the collecting panels 2. For this reason, the central tube has a ! Removable lid 35, which can be raised or removed when the tube is filling with water. j , I This can also be a valve to allow water to be carried from below, releasing the safety i permeate is also amplified to a large extent. j i Salinity, feedwater pressure, the valve or the lid are closed at the top. (The permeate flows out of the bottom of the tube at the bottom through the pipe 38.

I With little modification, that tree-shaped structure can be modified to fit within a mobile water tanker or existing concrete tanks! with this convert to desalination units.

Referring now to Figures 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19, where in an exemplary alternative form an in-line cylindrical membrane assembly is proposed, comprising a series of circular collector panels 41 arranged along a length of tube 49, through which it flows; the permeate. The construction of the cylindrical collector panel! it is similar to that for the desalination unit 1, like! HE I (illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, except that the streams or tunnels have a different pattern. opposite side of panel 41 to tube 45 of the permeate, cut them off from the circle to allow the flow of seawater along the interior of water tube 49. Seawater is introduced at one end and flows through. The open segments 42 and between the surfaces of the collector panels 47. The concentrate flows from the unit at the other end of the cylinder 46.

Each membrane assembly can be produced in the same way as that of the collector panel for the desalination unit, except that a rubber seal fits Around the edge and the complete assembly is screwed inside membrane, so that the flow coming from each collector panel surface is equalized. i i Because the collector panels 41 are reasonably thin, the total surface area of the membrane is calculated to be at least as much as any spirally wound membrane of similar capacity. All pressure is used to force the water through the membrane and there is no wasted pressure to force the seawater through a permeable material. j The cylindrical collector panel system 41, i described above, can incorporate the individual concentrate recovery method i for the introduction i of a second tube 39 through the intermediate part of the segment 42 used for seawater. This tube has holes 50 along its length, corresponding to the entrance of sea water and the outlet of the concentrate from each of the front membranes. ! i A one-way flow of seawater is induced by overlaying a series of raised ridges 48 I on the surface of the membrane. A rubber stopper or | of plastic is connected directly into the holes in the tube 46 of the concentrate. The rims can be made of rubber, plastic or any of the many materials, and similar, easy to use. The flanges fit I t tightly against the opposite membranes, with space enough to allow the unimpeded flow of seawater through both membranes.

Alternatively, the flow pattern may be incorporated into a solid porous disc and inserted as the collecting panels are assembled.

An advantage of this concentrate recovery system is that the saline water remains at the same concentration as the full length of the water tube 49.

I This makes possible a constant and precise determination of the appropriate pressure, the flow velocity of the permeate, and j the salt concentration. This helps, therefore, to calculate the optimal time to dispose of the concentrate according to i I increases the energy required to process it additionally. · With reference to Figure 20, the collected plates 41 of the cylindrical membrane can be used in a hybrid reverse osmosis unit incorporating many of the elements already described for the unit on the surface of saline water 58 or at a depth within it. The preferred depth is less than 600 meters of water. j i? i I The central chamber has a saline water inlet Í 42 on top, and the separate outlets j of permeate and concentrate 51 and 52, respectively, below it. The central chamber houses the saline water filter and the pump 53. The pump is used to direct the saline water l to the cylindrical membranes inside the water tube jde i the radial arms of the unit as for the reverse osmosis Conventional.

At a depth of saline water, its pressure is increased by the hydrostatic pressure of seawater. By I below the depth at which there is sufficient pressure to maintain the reverse osmosis, this pump can be used to pull seawater on the surfaces of the membrane and eject the concentrate to the sea. This reduces the osmotic pressure of seawater in contact with the surface of the membrane, which could otherwise increase rapidly. The pressure inside the unit! is I reduced but there is enough residual hydrostatic pressure to drive the reverse osmosis. This has the advantage of pumping only the concentrate. This pumping process can be aided by the addition of a vertical flexible tube for the concentrate, which helps the pumping due to its higher specific gravity compared to the environmental saline. The outlet 51 of the permeate, which in i the smallest desalination unit 1 was connected buoy and directly exposed to atmospheric pressure, it can be replaced by the tube 21 that connects to the recovery unit 18, or it can use the pump to transfer the permeate directly to the coastal storage facility.

The applications of the collector panels, the pressure tank and the cylindrical panels include various filtration systems used in the industry, not only those limited by the use of a semi-permeable membrane and not those only compromised by the processing water. : i PROOF OF CONCEPT i The described desalination system requires the re-interpretation of a number of physical formulas related to osmosis and reverse osmosis.

For example, during osmosis the point in the cyclial equilibrium is reached through a semipermeable membrane, is expressed by the formula. p h = cRT where p is the specific gravity of the concentrated solution h is the difference in height between the concentrate and the weakest ion solution, for example sea water as opposed to fresh water (assumed as SG = 1), c is the concentration ion molar equal to 1.1 mol per liter, Fj = 0.082 liter «atm / ° k« mol) is the gas constant, and T | is the absolute temperature in degrees Kelvin equal to 300 ° K for hydrostatic generated by the difference h in the levels of I Water. Because this is a thermodynamic process, it is completely reversible by applying pressure to the water column on the left (the concentrate). The pressure i needs to be enough to overcome the osmotic pressure! Y I to force a flow of water through the membrane by reverse osmosis. The water that flows towards the solution more Weakness raises the water level on that side, and can reach a level of equilibrium where the initial pressure applied is no longer able to force the water through the membrane. At this point, the hydrostatic pressure of the water column in the weakest solution in concert with the derived osmotic pressure, perfectly balances the pressure I I hydrostatic and the applied pressure of the concentrate. j In the device to be described, the equilibrium point is represented by the depth at which the loss of water through the device is stopped by means of osmosis, which under normal circumstances, Ij is equivalent to a depth of about 270 meters. j The pressure of seawater below this niyel I is sufficient to overcome the osmotic pressure and force the seawater through the membrane. The flow rate I through the membrane is determined by the formula j Fr = Kf (P - P0) where P = Pi + P0 and Fr is the measurement of the flow rate as liters per i i minute! i Kf is the factor of the flow velocity, measured as liters i per minute per baria \ P is the pressure of seawater on the membrane to üna I particular depth and · P0 is the osmotic pressure j This formula simply means that if the pressure required to produce reverse osmosis is explained, the residual pressure determines the speed at which water flows through the semi-permeable membrane. i Each increase of an atmosphere in the pressure produces | a ! additional flow of water, equivalent to the flow velocity factor. Already an atmosphere is approximately 10 meters deep, then at 100 meters, the fixed speed í could be 10 times the flow velocity factor. ! However, the pressure in this water flow is forced to raise the level of the permeate because it only pushes the tube up to sea level. Estol results in a counter pressure on the membrane, juna reduced pressure difference between one side of the membrane and the other, and the flow of water through the membrane stops sooner or later. This is the balance point for | the membrane at this depth where and the permeate pressure on the membrane is therefore PP =? 2 h2 where pi is the specific gravity of seawater, hi is [the height of the seawater above the membrane but below the depth of the osmotic pressure, P2 is the density of the permeate produced by the flow of water through of the membrane and h2 is the height of the permeate above the membrane, inside the device and the connection hose.

If for example, the device was inserted to 1,000 meters below the equivalent depth of the osmotic pressure (270 meters), with a specific gravity for seawater of 1.03, the calculation would be serious! 1. 03 X 1000 = 1 X h2 h2 = 1, 030 meters The height of the permeate in the balance would be 1,030 meters. Significantly, these are 30 meters above the depth of the osmotic pressure, or 240 meters below sea level. See Figure 21 The balance is taken to represent juna situation in which neither osmosis nor reverse osmosis is j occurring, but where any slight increase in the hydrostatic pressure of the permeate or concentrate will precipitate one or the other process. This is not the case here.

If a stable permeate water level were to be obtained with a vertical array of collector plates, the reverse osmosis could still be occurring in the plates of 1 background and the osmosis on the top. This is because the deeper membrane has a higher theoretical equilibrium level J for the permeate than the membranes at a lower depth. Since the highest level would tilt the hydrostatic pressure within the unit, desalination in combination with normal osmotic pressure above the hydrostatic pressure of seawater, osmosis could occur in some of the panels located higher in the unit . In fact, a line of demarcation could probably overlap through the placías i vertically aligned with the osmosis that occurs above, i and the reverse osmosis that occurs below. For this reason, the equilibrium level has been calculated towards the top of the desalination unit and is therefore only speculative. As long as the permeate level has remained below this theoretical resting state, the reverse osmosis will be maintained on each membrane surface.; A complementary consequence of vertically accommodated panels is that the flow velocity; to I Through the surface of the membrane to profundidaáes I discrete, it will be slightly different, but that this has no practical meaning for the operation of the unit since Differential hydrostatic pressures and speculative equilibrium levels are solved within the body of the unit due to exposure to atmospheric pressure. i This problem does not exist if the surface of the membrane is ! maintained perfectly horizontal, but this could create additional challenges.; One of the important functions of the recovery unit is to allow the processed water, without mechanical assistance, to reach such a level that it can be pumped economically to the coast. j i The flow velocity through the membrane is now given by Fr = Kf (P - P0 - Pp) i where Pp is the pressure of the permeate on the surface of jla I membrane. This formula shows that, according to! he I device is lowered below the equivalent depth of the osmotic pressure (270 meters), since that is internally subjected to atmospheric pressure, the I Water molecules will cross the membrane due to reverse osmosis. The permeate will be forced to rise in the hose of pipe connection, but the hydrostatic pressure resulting from the permeate will reduce the flow velocity until it also stops. This level is the state of rest or J in equilibrium for the device at this depth. The break-even point should be below this level since this i is computed towards the top of the device. j i There is only one other factor that has to be considered. That is the salinity. Reduced performance The permeate coming from the semi-permeable membrane is the ! only effect of salinity in the operation of this device. The reverse osmosis process leaves behind salt molecules in the concentrate. Since the osmotic pressure is dependent on the molar concentration, the increased pressure will increase the hydrostatic pressure of the permeate above the membrane, and will result in a reduced flow velocity. The higher the flow velocity, the more pronounced the impact of salinity on yield. where APc is the concentration represented by where R and T are the same as those used in the calculation) of the osmotic pressure and the typical molar concentration of the shack of sea also used previously, is 1.1 mol per liter. The diffusion of a higher concentration ionic solution into a lower concentration is a thermodynamic process in which the molecules effectively bounce off the surface of the membrane. The concentrated solution also decreases away from it due to its higher density. The ocean currents will help this process. The purity of the water, how much, if any, filtration, requires, and the impact of the filter on the exchange of seawater, and the concentrated solutions, are also considerations. In an open ocean, diffusion occurs within a solution to the original molar concentration. In conjunction with the fact that the collector plate has a large surface area, it is unlikely to maintain a high molar concentration on its surface, even at high flow rates.

Without the effect of increasing the molar concentration, there could be a linear relationship between the flow velocity and the permeate height above the membrane. A decrease by a baria of pressure in the permeate! by reducing its level below the equilibrium. j approximately 10 meters, could increase the flow velocity by the flow velocity factor of the membrajna. This means that for speed to be reached; of maximum flow for a particular membrane, the unit of recovery would need to be deployed at a depth in which this pressure differential is consistent with its I . . I specifications.

As the flow velocity increases, the molar concentration on the surface of the membrane will also increase proportionally, so that the Í I effective yield of the permeate will be less than that I I suggest the relationship. Because the increased salinity reduces the flow velocity and then has a negative relationship with the cost of raising an air volume At sea level, the best combination of efficiency: of energy consumption and performance will be achieved at the same time as the maximum flow velocity capacity of the semi-permeable membrane. This tripartite link can not be broken 'and ! jointly in combination governs the operation of the complete system. See Figure 23. | As an example, if the 160 panels of the unit 'of Desalination in Figure 9 were to produce an average by year. '| I The level of water maintained in the recovery unit is the depth of extraction, which is directly related to energy consumption and the cost of pumping. The work required to raise one liter (1 kg) of Water by one meter is around 9.8 Joules. The elevation of 1 kiloliter of water per 100 meters therefore requires The expense of approximately 1,000,000 Joules. Since there are 3. 6 megajoules in a kilowatt-hour, the elevation of 1 kiloliter (1 m3) by 360 meters is approximated to 1 kilowatt-hour. This is an indicator of the energy consumption that applies to this system.

I In the desalination system described, the energy is saved because the initial production of the desalination water does not require initial energy input. i There are great advantages in separating the vessel from which the pumping occurs, and the reverse osmosis device itself. The recovery unit can be fixed at a depth or it can be a floating device or moj / il which is connected to a pipe by means of a hose or flexible tube. By varying the depth of a unit j of i floating or mobile recovery, it is possible to control j the flow rate from the membrane assembly and the energy consumption to pump the water to sea level. Another way to control this is to use a tank of gravity feed, a vertical pipe or pipeline with a fixed recovery unit positioned to operate over the range of pressures for which the semi-permeable membranes are designed. See Figures 10, 11, 12 and 13. J The insertion of the recovery unit at 270 meters and the device at 360 meters is possibly jla ! minimum desirable separation between the units that gives how Result in low flow velocity and energy consumption ! relatively low (but not the lowest). For the best flow rates and control of energy consumption, the recovery unit should be placed between 360 and 540 meters. It is equal to a maximum power consumption of 1-1.5 kW-hour per kiloliter. Better results are achieved by deploying the desalination unit to the greatest practicable depth, since the recovery unit will then produce the same performance at a depth Reduced. ! Of course, the other factor in the energy requirements is the distance over which the water will be pumped or otherwise transferred to the shore. This obviously depends on the situation and the method used, j The impact of high molar concentrations j in conventional reverse osmosis systems is very severe. At a water recovery ratio of 0.5, which occurs when two volumes of seawater produce 1 volume j of permeate, the ionic molar concentration rises to twice that of seawater. The work required to produce a permeate yield is more than four times the minimum theoretical desalination energy. This is consistent with the quoted energy consumption of between 3.0 a 6. 0 kW-hours per kiloliter for the desalination plants . i by conventional reverse osmosis. i The collector plate system seeks to solve some of the problems inherent in conventional reverse osmosis systems in several ways. The j pressure tank, with its arrangement of collector plate and! the cylindrical plate assembly inside a water tube are able to desalinate the water to the usual recovery of the 50% of an operation. The pressure tank can help reduce the high molar concentrations in contact with | the membrane, by incorporating a fan blade to promote the diffusion of seawater. Yes j ion concentration in contact with the membrane is close to the concentration of the complete contents of the tank, the pressures needed to overcome the osmotic pressure Increased is maintained in retention. This means that it can operate at lower pressures, with or without the introduction of more seawater during processing. The cylindrical plate assembly does this by ensuring that the water I of sea is continuously moving on the plate. All the plates receive saline water at the original concentration, which increases as it reaches the center. This ensures that all plates are operating at maximum efficiency. Both devices can therefore obtain brine as the final output, but can operate more efficiently at lower recovery rates.

These can be effectively used in sequential seawater processing of gradually increasing ion molar concentration as part of a system: I Energy Recovery. The initial volume of seawater is processed at a low threshold pressure and the outlet is a concentrate, say 10% higher than the previous process, initially seawater. A pump increases the pressure for the second stage, which involves a smaller volume of the concentrated. Energy savings are generated by processing smaller volumes at the highest pressure until the concentrate becomes non-economic: to process later. 1 The salinization device 32 described in; Figure 20, which incorporates the aforementioned cylindrical membranes and their radial arms and the flotation ring, also saves energy when processing seawater in situ. At ocean depths below 270 meters, where there is enough hydrostatic pressure to maintain; reverse osmosis, it is not necessary to pump seawater to the semi-permeable cylindrical membrane. A hose or tube The long vertical length is connected to the concentrate outlet, and the greater specific variety of the concentrate in relation to the adjacent seawater helps its diffusion into the ocean, which occurs at a certain distance and separation of depth from the unit. The sea water is thereby pulled towards the unit through the seawater inlet. This process of natural diffusion is best carried out by a pump, When expelling the concentrated saline solution, this pump reduces the osmotic pressure of the seawater in contact with 1 the surface of the membrane and therefore increases the flow rate of the membrane, since there is sufficient residual hydrostatic pressure to drive the reverse osmosis and to cause the displacement of the I permeated the recovery unit. Although there is a loss of pressure due to the loss of water through the membrane, there is consequently a lower volume of water.

There is a great advantage in using the direct energy of waves, winds or tides. The pressure to produce the reverse osmosis is generated by an increased water pump? by the hydrostatic pressure of seawater. A long vertical hose uses the greater specific gravity of the concentrate to expel this liquid to a greater depth, and with this help the natural diffusion.

The advantages of the system described herein include: The device is relatively easy and cheap to manufacture.

The collector plates are easily re .. . , |; 1 usable, saving in landfill. ! There are few moving parts since there is no pumping of sea water required during the reverse osmosis process. | : i '': | I The only water that needs to be pumped is the permeada ·. ·,.; . j of the recovery unit only. j A high performance of desalinated water can be produced at a low energy consumption. ' It is not necessary to connect electric cables to j : | |. | > | < . , ·. · |. . I desalination unit. With the choice of appropriate alternative energy technologies to pump the permeate to shore, such connections can be avoided together.

The pump does not need to make contact in any I moment with salt water. This overcomes the incrustation and oxidation problems, which are inherent in all seawater desalination methods. This is the only seawater desalination method in which the pump is separated in this way.

The device is capable of operating greater depths than other systems since the critical element is the pressure between the internal permeated water and the external supply water, not the environmental hydrostatic; j i The access of seawater from the ocean depths relatively free of algae and pollutants reduces the pressure required for reverse osmosis, since Very little or no filtration is needed. 1 The constancy of hydrostatic pressure for | Seawater reduces the stress on the membrane, thus extending the life of the membrane. This assumes that j the ! membrane itself is able to tolerate compression due to the i Higher hydrostatic pressure (as opposed to the pressure <jiel water through the pores of the membrane).

The desalination system exploits the difference in the specific gravity of seawater and that permeate † Ilel to produce a reduced pumping cost from the recovery unit. \ In the case of the pressure tank and the membrane Cylindrical, the advantage is the use of plate and collector system to induce reverse osmosis at relatively low pump pressures in conventional systems. East ! factor applies to the hybrid device described in Figure 20, which can be used as a conventional reverse osmosis system in shallow saline water, but can be converted to a system that uses some of the components of desalination unit 1 including | the recovery unit 18 in deep saline situations Although the description has been shown and described i I in what is conceived are the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is recognized that deviations may be made within the scope of the invention, which are not intended to be limited to the details described within this document or the claims, but rather to be in agreement with the full scope described here, for I cover any and all devices and devices and equivalents. I

Claims

1. A desalination system by reverse osmosis, characterized because it includes: a. a desalination unit having at least one semi-permeable membrane in direct contact with; a body of saline water at a depth di, b. an internal chamber in fluid connection with the saline water via a semi-permeable membrane, < c. the internal camera is in fluid connection with I an atmosphere above a surface of saline water 1 d. wherein the depth di provides a sufficient hydrostatic pressure pl, which is greater than the osmotic pressure to effect at least some desalination in the saline water through the semi-permeable membrane, to provide a permeate that is substantially water Desalted, towards the internal chamber and a solute outside; the internal camera, j and. such that a solute is capable of passively dissipating to the surrounding body of saline water.

2. The reverse osmotic system according to claim 1, characterized in that the recovery unit is fluidly connected to the internal chamber; and also in fluid connection with the atmosphere above; the surface of saline water.

3. The reverse osmotic system in accordance with claim 2, characterized in that the recovery unit is deployed at a depth d2 of saline which makes it possible for a height of the permeate within the recovery unit to be maintained below an equilibrium level of the semi-permeable membrane of the unit desalting 1, such as to facilitate the removal of the permeate from the internal chamber. j

4. The reverse osmotic system according to claim 3, characterized in that the hydrostatic pressure of the saline water at the depth di of the desalination unit is sufficient to produce the reverse osmosis through the semi-permeable membrane and effect the displacement of the permeate to the recovery unit to d2.

5. The inverse osmotic system according to claim 4, characterized in that the recovery unit includes a pump for pumping the permeate from i I the desalination unit to a storage facility j to. such that the hydrostatic pressure of the permeate above the semi-permeable membrane, opposes the hydrostatic pressure of the saline water and thereby moderates a rate at which the permeate flows from the desalination unit to the recovery unit, b. such that the flow velocity of the permeate from the desalination unit can be controlled by the pumping speed from the recovery unit, '> c. such that the height of the permeate within the recovery unit is directly proportional to | the energy required to pump a given volume of water to | the storage facility, d. such that the permeate is the only volume that pumped them into this desalination system, i i e. such that the depth d2 of the unit! from I Recovery can be chosen to produce the required yield of the permeate or at a predetermined energy consumption.

6. The reverse osmotic system in accordance with I claim 3, characterized in that the recovery unit I is connected to the desalination unit by a flow control valve such that the permeate produced by the desalination unit can only flow to the recovery unit, and a total shut-off valve pressure sensitive is installed in the desalination unit to be activated in case of incursion j of I seawater. j

7. The reverse osmotic system according to claim 5, characterized in that if the desalination unit is deployed at a greater depth d, the less dense permeate will flow from the desalination unit to the recovery unit at a higher height of permeated in balance j a. such that there is either an increase in the I permeate flow velocity or lower energy consumption required to pump the permeate to the storage facility, j i b. such that the recovery unit can be placed at a reduced depth for such deployment of the desalination unit.

8. A saline water desalination method using the reverse osmosis desalination system according to any of claims 1-j-7, characterized in that it includes taking advantage of the increased osmotic pressure (which is directly related to j I velocity of diffusion of the solute to the saline solution) when the system is operating, since this impacts the flow velocity of the permeate, and it means that the desalination unit must be deployed at a depth to counteract this factor so that it is achieved. a I desired performance. Desalination system that uses reverse osmosis, and a method of operation for it, characterized because each one is as described in · the I i specification, with reference to and as illustrated in the appended representations. \